ABSTRACT

Intestinal protozoan infections remain a public health problem in low and middle-income countries. The current study was aimed to investigate the prevalence of potentially pathogenic intestinal protozoan parasitic infection in farmers, education concerned and shepherds of Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A total of 1041 stool samples were examined from January 2006 to December 2008 using direct smear and concentration methods. One hundred and fifteen (11.04%) participants were found infected with one or more than one intestinal protozoans. Forty one (35.6%) of the participants were infected with single parasite and seventy four (64.3%) with multiple infections. Entamoeba histolytica 30.5% (n=77/252), Giardia lamblia 15.0% (n=38/252), Ascaris lumbricoides 17% (n=43/252), Trichuris trichura 11.1% (n=28/252), Enterobius vermicularis 9.52 (n=24/252), Ancylostoma duodenale 3.96% (n=10/252), Taenia saginata 9.52% (n=25/252) and Hymenolepis nana 2.77% (n=7/252) were detected in order of their prevalence. The adults were found marginally more parasitized than children (P<0.05). The females were more infected than males with (P<0.05). No significant association was found among the occupational groups and parasitic infection (P<0.05). However, shepherds were found more infected than farmers and education concerned. Due to comparative based approach in different occupational communities the present study is of particular importance and interest. Such studies should continue time to time to know the hazardous of potentially important pathogenic parasitic infections particularly in remote parts of the world.